Design your own creative space

July 24, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

my creative space

Some time back I realised that I was balancing notepads on my knees and music keyboards on my lap. At about the same time I noticed that I wasn’t writing or recording as much as I would like. The problem was that I didn’t have the right environment to create; I didn’t have a creative space. I needed somewhere to go to write, to draw or to record music. And so I redecorated the room, bought a new desk and added a couple of shelves. I put everything I needed to be creative at my fingertips, I had created my very own creative space. I was unable to use the excuse that I had nowhere to go and create. The picture above is my current creative space.

My hierarchy of needs

I am easily distracted. I like to know where things are. These were the two principles that I held onto while I pulled my creative space together. I made sure that the surroundings were neutral, plain white walls and apart from a plant or two – to give a little oxygen – I kept my little corner simple. I also made sure that everything I needed was within reach, pens, computer and music recording equipment. Two simple principles but they have improved my creativity no end.

What do you need?

Just a little thought… you are not me. In fact no two people are exactly the same. You may need chaos to be creative, you may need the visual equivalent of a symphony orchestra bombarding your sense. So to help you develop your own creative space spend a few minutes, or longer, pondering these questions.

  • What is your favourite recent creation?
  • Where were you when you created it?
  • What in your environment helped that creation?
  • What in your environment hindered the creation?
Using these questions you can find your own needs and develop your own principles. Then use these principles to design and develop your own creative space. Prepare your very own creative space and take your creativity to a new level.
In the meantime, and if you need a little inspiration, why not take a look at the creative spaces group on flickr, and see how others are changing their creative environments. And please add links in the comments to pictures of your own creative spaces, I’d love to see what everyone else does.
Filed Under: preparation · Tagged: , , ,

The top tip to being creative

July 19, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

When it comes to being an author, or a singer, a guitarist or an artist, there is one thing that you absolutely must do. This top tip is the fundamental to your success. You will never achieve what you want to do, or become, if you don’t follow this tip.

The problem is that it is so basic that we easily forget it. Yet, it is fundamental if we want to be creative in any medium. So what is this big, ultimate tip? The one thing that we all need?

go light

Well…

  • if you want to be a writer, you need to write.
  • if you want to be an artist, you need to paint or draw
  • if you want to be a guitarist you need to play the guitar
  • if you want to be a singer you need to sing
  • if you want to be a songwriter you need to write songs

It is the starting block of any creative venture, but so often one that is never used. We sit back and wait, we plan, we plot we dream of what might one day… but the only solution is to actually get up and do something. What ever you want to do, you need to actually do it. So close the browser, and pick up that pen, or those brushes, of that notepad, or that musical instrument and begin to create. Go and become.

 

Filed Under: perspiration · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

How to find your muse

July 17, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Your muse is an elusive little thing. One moment there and the next gone. There are many reasons why our muse goes on walkabout, but none are down to the muse itself. In fact there is only one person to blame when we can’t find our muse, and that person is our self.

three muses

The reason your muse is missing

The answer to the heading above is quite simple. The reason our muse is missing is that we forget to feel.

  • a social artist can only create when they are concerned about society
  • a love song can only be written when the writer understands love
  • a protest song can only be written when an injustice is witnessed
  • a novel that resonates with the reader is only conceived through shared events

The above aren’t the only examples of muse inspired creativity, but they do highlight the main reason we sometime lack inspiration and therefore creativity. Feelings are one of the most important aspects of inspiration. Love, hate, anger, fear, joy and so on, all

Hang on to your muse

To be sure of finding your muse you need to allow your emotions to be stimulated. One sure way of losing your muse is to become jaded. That’s why when we are jolted by love’s arrival or departure, or the sight of genocide, or corporate greed, inspiration often knocks at the door and demands your attention.

Keep feeling and you’ll find inspiration. Your muse is an emotional being.

Filed Under: inspiration · Tagged: , , ,

Here it comes again, that old same feeling

July 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

The BBC have been showing a series of programs on Punk, and more generally the punk attitude. I am a product of that era. I emerged a teenager, inspired by the I can do anything and I don’t respect authority attitude. Or, in marketing parlance a typical Gen X.

With this in mind I am now writing this post. As has been said by many, including Chris Brogan (and do take a read through his stuff, it’s great and inspiring) you shouldn’t write an apology for not posting post. Well it is time to break a few rules once more, something CEB encourages anyway.

It has been a while since this beloved site saw some love from me. It isn’t due to a lack of inspiration, or even motivation. or even applying a bit of perspiration and hard work. Ideas have been flowing freely and they still are. Perhaps that is, or rather was, the problem.

Planning

What I have lacked is the motivation to organise those ideas into anything substantial. I had google docs all over the place, I had lists littered on a plethora of productivity sites. In fact, I was being overwhelmed. I needed a plan, as Hannibal would say.

List paper and pen

Let’s make a list

And so last weekend I cleared the decks. I pulled all the missed deadlines off of to do lists. I pooled together all the documents I had. I created a spread sheet and added all the ideas. The spread sheet was based on the blog editorial calendar developed by Stephanie Schwab, again certainly worth looking at.

After all this, and through a lot of gritted teeth and determination. I ended up with a plan. And what a plan it is. I have content planned for a considerable time ahead.

The take away?

I learnt that even though I have missed self-imposed deadlines, even though I have been sitting on ideas for an eternity, even though I doubted I could ever sort all this stuff out. I can sort things out and organise the seemingly impossible. And if I can do it, you can too!

Pull everything together and either dump it, chuck it away and never think about it again, or go through it all and decide what you will do. It’s hard work, but it is worth it. I look forward to seeing what you create.

Filed Under: perspiration, site info, slider · Tagged: ,

Inspiration in the form of The Creativity Deck

July 7, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

One of my favourite pieces of kit when it comes to creativity is Eno’s Oblique Strategies. A series of creative prompts that can help you think creatively about your personal creative pet project. Well now they have a partner (rival?) in the form of the Wishkeepers Creativity Collective and their very own Creativity Deck.

Creativity deck

The bottom line is that we all get stuck at times. At those times we may lose our hair (see any of my personal pics for proof) or take it out on our favourite procrastination projects. But this kit will help you find a way past those distractions and reach creative nirvana.

So if you are in need of inspiration and a way through that barrier that is grinning in front of you take a look at, and find out more about, The Creativity Deck. And just remember, like bow ties and Fezzes, cards are cool!

Filed Under: inspiration · Tagged: ,

Every journey begins with a single step

April 7, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
The first step

The first step

It is time to begin the creative journey. What you may not realise is that you have already been travelling for some time. This journey isn’t a new journey. But it may be a change in direction. It may involve a change in what you’re carrying. It may mean you need to change your perspective.

The next step will be different from before. It will have direction, it will have purpose and it will lead you somewhere. The exact destination may not be known yet, but it will be realised.

Come, take the next step.

Filed Under: preparation, slider ·

Amazing fractal video, a little inspiration

April 7, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Surface Detail

There’s nothing to add about this. Its inspirational beauty will suffice.

Filed Under: slider, Uncategorized ·

coming soon

January 6, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
…write, draw, sing, stick,
colour in, compose, rethink,
anything to do with creativity…
Filed Under: site info ·

A creative alternative to NaNoWriMo

October 10, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Want to be creative in November but don’t want to do NaNoWriMo? Then take a look at this wonderful list over at Abundance Blog. There’s 30 creative things to do each day, and to be honest many could be full-time projects on their own.

The 30-Day Creativity Project

Filed Under: creative exercises, inspiration · Tagged: ,

And then we were five – happy birthday !maginality

September 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Five years ago today !maginality was born. It was a simple birth. And since then there have been difficult times and good times. Now five years old it is time for !maginality to step forth into the wide world again.

She has a new song to sing and she’ll be the muse for all our creative needs. So get ready, it’ll soon be time once again to balance inspiration, preparation and perspiration. But first, let’s party…

Happy Birthday !maginality

Bring forth the DJ

Planet Funk – Too Much TV (The Sun Remix) from glowpeak on Vimeo.

Filed Under: news ·
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